Why do most people think you can catch a cold from cold weather?
These people aren’t even doctors, if they were they would know a cold is caused by a virus. (PS I posted this question again because in the details of my last question I said it was caused by cold weather instead of a virus.)
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ANSWERS: 3
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I think the main reason is because people relate cold weather to getting certain types of sickness, such as flu virus, not necessary as a direct result, more of a correlation. However, you can get hypothermia directly from cold weather, as well as chilblains, and frost bite, but for older people they'd relate to the hypothermia element, because the body systems don't work so well as when you are younger. As an asthmatic, or someone with breathing difficulties, cold weather is also very dry, and can aggravate pre-existing breathing problems.
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Je'sean But don’t it have to be colder than 40° for most young people to get hypothermia or frostbite? -
Creamcrackered If a person becomes chilled from rain, or sweat, then they can suffer hypothermia above 40, although hypothermia affects most elderly people, it can also affect hikers, and hunters, or people using alcohol or illicit drugs. Frostbite is affected by wind chill factor.
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Historically, during colder months, proper nutrition was less readily available and the air was drier. Surviving a winter could be a near-death experience anyway, and that stress could create a tax on the immune system.
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I think, like creamcrackered said, its correlational and not a direct cause. 'Cold and flu' season starts when it gets cold out, but I would relate that more to people spending less time outside and passing the virus to each other in close confines. Which would be coupled with previous unsanitary practices, about sanitizing surfaces, masking and 'social distancing' which have improved drastically with the onset of covid. Cold temperatures are actually used in hospitals to make the environment less hospitable to viruses. I'm not very educated on how the temperature actually affects each person's immune system though.
bostjan the adequate 🥉 
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